Can you believe 2024 is a couple of weeks away? As an HR professional, starting the new year can feel overwhelming. Curating and planning the next couple of months let alone the entire year, might seem like a stressful way to start the year.
To make the transition to 2024 a little easier for you and your HR team, Verified First curated the ultimate HR Calendar for 2024 with a comprehensive list of relevant holidays and special events, as well as important payroll and compliance information to keep on your radar.
Celebrating holidays and culturally significant events helps build and strengthen company culture, but keeping employees aware of relevant payroll and compliance information can also improve employee engagement and retention. Let’s explore how you can build your HR Calendar for 2024.
January
Kick off the new year the right way! January is the perfect time to set the pace for the rest of the year. If you’re implementing new hiring and recruitment strategies, Verified First is here to help. From top screening tips to Onboarding and Applicant Tracking Systems Buyer’s Guides, we have you covered!
Key Dates and Holidays
When planning for 2024, consider the following holidays, payroll, and compliance dates below.
Holidays
- New Year's Day: January 1, 2024
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day: January 15, 2024
- Data Privacy Day: January 28, 2024
Compliance and Payroll Information
- January 16, 2024: The Federal Open Enrollment period for 2024 plans ends
- January 31, 2024:
- Deadline to distribute W-2S to employees
- Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return (Form 941) due
- Submit Form 1099-NEC to IRS and recipients
Employee Engagement Ideas
- National Hobby Month: Hobbies and passions can nurture truly incredible results! Consider setting up a mini-challenge where employees dedicate one hour a day to a side project. Pick a fun price and choose a winner at the end of the month!
- Clean Your Desk Day (January 8, 2024): Encourage employees to clean off and submit pictures of their desks. The winner gets bragging rights, and maybe a coffee gift card.
- Compliment Day (January 24, 2024): Send out a company-wide email letting employees submit compliments (anonymously or not) to their coworkers!
February
January and February are typically heavy hiring months. Are your recruitment and hiring practices ready for the season? Verified First can help. A good place to start is by evaluating your time to hire. Based on research from SHRM, Verified First developed the Time to Hire Savings Calculator enabling you to determine potential cost savings associated with reducing time to hire.
Key Dates and Holidays
February is Black History Month, and it’s also filled with various holidays and cultural events to help you boost employee engagement and company culture.
Holidays
- Groundhog Day: February 2, 2024
- Chinese New Year: February 10, 2024
- Mardi Gras: February 13, 2024
- Valentine’s Day: February 14, 2024
- Ash Wednesday: February 14, 2024
- President’s Day: February 19, 2024
- Leap Day: February 29, 2024
Compliance and Payroll Information
- February 15, 2024: 1099-MISC due
- February 28, 2024: Deadline to file ACA Paper Forms, including Form 1094-C, 1095-C, and 1099-MISC without NEC to IRS
Employee Engagement Ideas
- Black History Month: There are many ways to embrace and celebrate Black History Month, and you should consider what makes sense to your organization and employees. Some ideas could be supporting resource groups, hosting guest speakers, and volunteering with local nonprofits and charities.
- Valentine’s Day (February 14, 2024): Consider sending thoughtful cards or decorating the office.
- Random Acts of Kindness Day (February 17, 2024): Have employees draw names for someone to show a random act of kindness to that week.
March
As you start to feel more settled in 2024, March can be a great time to evaluate your processes, initiatives, and goals. Are your partners and vendors lining up with your strategic goals? Our Vendor Assessment Scorecard can help you spot performance gaps, determine ROI, identify when to consider changing vendors, and build a low-risk, world-class portfolio!
Key Dates and Holidays
March is Women’s History Month and the start of Spring! Consider these events and holidays when planning for 2024.
Holidays
- Employee Appreciation Day: March 1, 2024
- International Women's Day: March 8, 2024
- First Day of Ramadan: March 10, 2024
- St. Patrick’s Day: March 17, 2024
- First Day of Spring: March 19, 2024
- Palm Sunday: March 24, 2024
- Good Friday: March 29, 2024
- Easter: March 31, 2024
- International Transgender Visibility Day: March 31, 2024
Compliance and Payroll Information
- March 1, 2024: HIPAA Breach Employee Notification and Form M-1 filing deadline
- March 2, 2024: Deadline to electronically submit OSHA Form 300A for 2023
- March 15, 2024: S-Corp (Form 1120-S) and partnership (Form 1065) tax returns due
- March 31, 2023: End of traditional Q1
Employee Engagement Ideas
- Women's History Month: This month, and International Women's Day, are important cultural events that can make employees feel valued and heard. Consider launching initiatives for women’s empowerment, educating your employees on women’s rights issues, and appropriately honoring the female leaders within the organization.
- Employee Appreciation Day (March 1, 2024): The perfect time to capitalize on and celebrate employee engagement. Some ideas to consider include a company-wide lunch, fun events, and activities, or company swag.
- International Transgender Visibility Day (March 31, 2024): Make a commitment to inclusivity in your recruitment and hiring strategies. This could be a good time to review your DE&I progress.
April
Spring is in full swing which means it's the perfect time for your HR department to get organized! Consider updating documentation for policy and procedures, decluttering your hiring process, or streamlining your Form I-9s. Verified First offers Historical I-9, a way to easily house all your I-9 documents in one place, including files that did not originate in Verified First’s Tracker solution. Say goodbye to paper Form I-9s and hello to simple, streamlined compliance.
Key Dates and Holidays
April is Stress Awareness Month, so it’s the perfect opportunity to set aside meaningful time and activities during a very busy season.
Holidays
- April Fool’s Day: April 1, 2024
- Eid al-Fitr: April 8 - 10, 2024
- National Siblings Day: April 10, 2024
- National Pet Day: April 11, 2024
- Tax Day: April 15, 2024
- Passover: April 22 - 30, 2024
- Earth Day: April 22, 2024
- Administrative Professionals Day: April 24, 2024
Compliance and Payroll Information
- April 1, 2024: Deadline to file form 1099s electronically
- April 15, 2024: Tax Day (Filing deadline for personal tax returns and C Corporations)
- April 15, 2024: Forms 7004 and 8928 filing deadline
- April 30, 2023: Form 941 & 720 due (Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return)
Employee Engagement Ideas
- National Volunteer Month: Consider launching different initiatives to support your employee’s favorite charities and ways to give back. This could include dedicated volunteer days, donation matching, and more.
- April Fool’s Day (April 1, 2024): This could be a nice time to bring lighthearted fun to the office. Check out these office-safe pranks for some inspiration.
- National Pet Day (April 11, 2024): Who doesn’t love furry (and sometimes scaly) friends? If you work remotely, try hosting a virtual pet meet-up or cutest pet contest!
May
You’re almost halfway there! With summer right around the corner, now is a great time for nonprofit and volunteer managers (and all organizations!) to refine their summer screening programs. One background check upon hire is not always enough to ensure the safety and security of your organization. To make rescreening simple, Verified First offers Batch Rescreening!
Key Dates and Holidays
Don’t forget to take care of yourself, and your employee’s mental health. Since May is Mental Health Month, consider checking in with your employees and utilizing activities to best support them.
Holidays
- Cinco de Mayo: May 5, 2024
- May Day: May 6, 2024
- Mother’s Day: May 12, 2024
- National Bike to Work Day: May 17, 2024
- Armed Forces Day: May 18, 2024
- Memorial Day: May 27, 2024
Compliance and Payroll Information
- May 15, 2024: Non-Profit Tax Returns Due, including Form 990
Employee Engagement Ideas
- AAPI Heritage Month: This is a great time to educate your employees on Asian American and South Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage. If your employees are comfortable, consider leveraging their insight and knowledge for company-wide learning.
- Mental Health Month: Everyone should prioritize their mental health. Consider reminding your employees about the mental health resources available to them, or even bringing in a dedicated counselor for the month.
- World Password Day (May 2, 2024): It’s important to always stay on top of your security measures, but this day is the perfect time to remind employees about safe passwords. Send a company-wide email with helpful tips and resources about password safety!
June
Summer is almost here! And so is SHRM’s Annual Conference and Expo, an exciting event for HR professionals nationwide. If you aren’t attending the conference, June could be the perfect opportunity to allocate some time to your own professional development. Did you know Verified First offers live and on-demand webinars available for SHRM and HRCI credit? Check out our HR at the Table series to find a topic that interests you!
Key Dates and Holidays
June LGBTQIA+ Pride Month! This is a great time to look at your DE&I initiatives and progress to determine how to best support your employees this time of year.
Holidays
- Leave the Office Early Day: June 2, 2024
- Flag Day: June 14, 2024
- Father’s Day: June 16, 2024
- Juneteenth: June 19, 2024
- First Day of Summer: June 20, 2024
Compliance and Payroll Information
Employee Engagement Ideas
- June LGBTQIA+ Pride Month: This month is all about spreading awareness of the LGBTQIA+ community. Consider educating employees on inclusive language and practices, or bringing in a guest speaker!
- Leave the Office Early Day (June 2, 2024): Wrap up work early and let your employees head home for the day!
- Juneteenth (June 19, 2024): There are many ways to educate on and celebrate Juneteenth in the office. Consider adding a wall of quotes about Juneteenth to help educate employees or run a donation drive supporting social justice nonprofits and organizations.
July
School is out for summer, but staying informed is always a top priority. July is a great time to refine your screening practices to stay organized, compliant, and efficient. Verified First can help answer your background screening questions, provide tips and tricks for effective hiring, and more!
Key Dates and Holidays
Your employees should enjoy their summer, too. Consider working in ways to show you value your employee's time this month and remind everyone about PTO. Don’t forget to schedule your own time off, too.
Holidays
- Independence Day: July 4, 2024
- National Intern Day: July 25, 2024
- Parents Day: July 28, 2024
Compliance and Payroll Information
- July 31, 2024:
- Form 941 & 720 Due (Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return)
- Forms 5500 and 5558 Filing Deadline (for calendar year plans)
- Compliance check
Employee Engagement Ideas
- National Intern Day (July 25, 2024): Honor your interns with lunch or company swag.
August
Are you up to date on your organization’s compliance requirements? With many employees out of the office, now is a great time to catch up on things you may have put off over the last few months. Compliance doesn’t have to be hard with Verified First! Our in-house, Public Records team is always here to help you mitigate risk and stay compliant with FCRA regulations.
Key Dates and Holidays
August is National Wellness Month and Happiness Happens Month. Consider focusing on holistic employee wellness, offering resources that show your employees that you value them as people, not just workers.
Holidays
- National Financial Awareness Day: August 14, 2024
- Women’s Equality Day: August 28, 2024
- National Dog Day: August 28, 2024
Compliance and Payroll Information
Employee Engagement Ideas
- National Wellness Month: Launch a month-long wellness campaign. You could prioritize different aspects of wellness each week, such as: physical, mental, emotional, and social.
- National Financial Awareness Day (August 14, 2024): Offer employees resources to raise their financial awareness! Consider training sessions, guest speakers, and more.
September
Experiencing a “September Surge”? Verified First is here to help. With so many job seekers on the hunt, recruitment and hiring can be overwhelming. Verified First’s one-click integration can help you streamline and automate your hiring in minutes! Plus we partner with 100+ leading HR and TA tech solutions, so you never have to leave your chosen platform.
Key Dates and Holidays
September can feel operationally heavy with important payroll, compliance, and hiring pursuits happening each day. Make sure to be on top of key dates for your organization by leveraging the resources available to you!
Holidays
- Labor Day: September 2, 2024
- National Payroll Week: September 3 - 7, 2024
- National Working Parents Day: September 16, 2024
- First Day of Fall: September 22, 2024
- National HR Professional Day: September 26, 2024
Compliance and Payroll Information
- September 29, 2024: Deadline to supply SAR to covered participants for calendar year plans
Employee Engagement Ideas
- National 401k Day (September 6, 2024): Remind and educate your employees about their 401k plans!
- National Working Parents Day (September 16, 2024): Honor your working parents with a special note or email. You could even consider giving them half the day off!
- IT Professionals Day (September 17, 2024): Show your wonderful IT department how special they truly are with a catered lunch, company swag, or dedicated shoutout!
October
The holidays are right around the corner, but not everyone may be feeling the spirit. Since World Mental Health Day takes place in October, it’s a great time to check in on yourself, your team, and your employees. Consider giving your employees more support and psychological safety in the workplace.
Key Dates and Holidays
In the theme of World Mental Health Day, use this light compliance month to take care of yourself and reset your priorities. With open enrollment and a busy holiday season approaching, October is the perfect time to check in with yourself, your team, and the company.
Holidays
- Rosh Hashanah: October 2 - 4, 2024
- World Mental Health Day: October 10, 2024
- Yom Kippur: October 11 - 12, 2024
- National Coming Out Day: October 11, 2024
- Indigenous Peoples Day: October 14, 2024
- Sukkot: October 16 - 23, 2024
- National Boss’s Day: October 16, 2024
- Halloween: October 31, 2024
Compliance and Payroll Information
- October 3, 2024: RDS Application due to CMS (for plan years beginning on January 1, 2024)
- October 13, 2024: Deadline to deliver Medicare Part D Notice of Creditable Coverage to plan participants
- October 31, 2024: Form 941 & 720 Due (Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return)
Employee Engagement Ideas
- Indigenous Peoples Day (October 14, 2024): This is a great opportunity to educate your employees on the importance of the day, giving them time to reflect on their understanding. Consider prioritizing ways to enhance your DE&I initiatives.
- National Boss’s (October 16, 2024): Encourage employees to come up with their own ways of saying thank you to their bosses. You can offer some ideas including team cards, small tokens of appreciation, or a team lunch.
- Halloween (October 31, 2024): Time to get spooky! There are so many ways to celebrate Halloween at work. Consider hosting a costume contest, decorating the office, or playing some Halloween-themed games!
November
Did you know that an efficient drug screening program not only keeps your organization and employees safe but can also improve productivity and reduce healthcare costs? Verified First offers different solutions for your unique needs depending on your location, panels to be tested, and turnaround time. We can even manage your random drug screening program!
Key Dates and Holidays
Open enrollment can be very stressful for HR departments. November is National Gratitude Month and a great reminder to take some time to appreciate your team and coworkers for all their hard work this year.
Holidays
- Día de Muertos: November 2, 2024
- Veterans Day: November 11, 2024
- World Kindness Day: November 13, 2024
- Transgender Day of Remembrance: November 20, 2024
- Thanksgiving: November 28, 2024
Compliance and Payroll Information
- November 1, 2024: Federal open-enrollment period for 2024 plans starts
Employee Engagement Ideas
- National Gratitude Month: November is all about showing gratitude to your employees. Appreciate them, reward them, or do whatever feels right to your organization. This could be a day off work, a catered lunch, or something else!
- National Native American Heritage Month: Launch a month-long campaign to educate your employees on Native American Heritage and Culture. This can include guest speakers, workshops, and more.
- National Career Development Month: Many employees are excited about career development opportunities when they join a new company. Take this month to improve employee learning and connect with your organization to see what opportunities they are looking for.
December
You survived another year (almost)! As 2025 approaches, you may be considering promotions and available job opportunities for the new year. While you likely are already utilizing pre-employment background screening, however, a background check isn’t a one-time job. Learn why Verified First recommends using background screening for internal promotions.
Key Dates and Holidays
December is a month filled with several relevant cultural and social events, as well as critical compliance and payroll dates. Be sure to stay on top of your organization’s needs, but still take the time to celebrate your employees and their accomplishments this year.
Holidays
- Giving Tuesday: December 3, 2024
- International Day of People with Disabilities: December 3, 2024
- World Human Rights Day: December 10, 2024
- Christmas Eve: December 24, 2024
- Christmas: December 25, 2024
- Hanukkah: December 25, 2024 - January 2, 2025
- Kwanzaa: December 26, 2024 - January 1, 2025
- New Year's Eve: December 31, 2024
Compliance and Payroll Information
- December 29, 2024: Nondiscrimination testing, 401K plans, 125 Premium Only Plans (POP), and flexible spending account (FSA) nondiscrimination testing (if on calendar plan year)
Employee Engagement Ideas
- International Day of People with Disabilities (December 3, 2024): Use this day to educate your workforce about disability rights and inclusion. This could include a guest speaker, a training session, or pledging to improve your DE&I efforts.
- National Ugly Sweater Day (December 20, 2024): Get in the Christmas Spirit by hosting an ugly sweater party or content for the office. The winner could receive a gift card, some holiday treats, or an extra day of PTO!
- Holiday Celebrations (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, etc): You likely have employees who celebrate all different holidays this time of year. If you are planning holiday work events and activities, make sure to be inclusive of different religious and cultural backgrounds. You can do this by keeping decoration, food, drink, and music choices all-encompassing or neutral and creating a safe space for people to be themselves.
Planning Your 2024 HR Calendar
Keeping track of legal, payroll, compliance, and holiday dates can be stressful and overwhelming without the right tools and processes in place. Verified First is here to support your organization. Our integrated background screening and drug testing services help keep you organized and reduce your workload, so you can focus on more strategic and culturally important initiatives for your organization.
